How to answer a debt lawsuit in Minnesota

How long you have, how to file, what it costs and which defenses to raise.

Checked against official sources: Oct 24, 2026.

Short answer

District Court or Conciliation Court case: 21 days. Write an answer that responds to the complaint and lists your defenses. Serve it on the plaintiff's lawyer (by mail or delivery) within 21 days.

Time to answer
21 days
Official answer form
No official form found
Fee to answer
$310.

Your deadline to answer in Minnesota

  • District Court or Conciliation Court case: 21 days.

21 days after you are served with the summons. This applies even if the case has not been filed with the court yet.

Law: Minn. R. Civ. P. 12.01, 3.01, 5.02, 5.04; Minn. Stat. §§ 357.021, 563.01

In nearby states

Your last day to answer

The date is counted in your browser.

The court's name is at the top of your summons.

An estimate from our state data, not legal advice. Court holidays and local rules can change a deadline. File early, and ask the court clerk if you are not sure.

What can defeat the claim in Minnesota

For consumer debt, the time limit is 6 years, and after it runs out, a payment or promise does not restart it. A debt buyer must prove the contract, the amount and the full chain of assignment before it can get a default judgment. Since 2024, a spouse is not liable for the other spouse's debts, including medical debts.

Law: Minn. Stat. § 541.053; Minn. Stat. § 548.101; Minn. Stat. § 519.05

In Minnesota, the time limit to sue on a written contract is 6 years. A debt older than that can be a defense, but you must raise it in your answer.

Debt buyer lawsuits in Minnesota: the full rules

What an answer is and how to file it in Minnesota

Write an answer that responds to the complaint and lists your defenses. Serve it on the plaintiff's lawyer (by mail or delivery) within 21 days. If the case is already filed, also file your answer with the court administrator and pay the fee, or ask for a fee waiver. If the case has not been filed, the plaintiff must file it within 1 year of serving you, or it is dismissed.

Court fees in Minnesota

Fee to answer

$310. In district court, the defendant pays a filing fee when the first paper is filed for that defendant.

Law: Minn. Stat. § 357.021, subd. 2(1)

If you can't pay the fees

Ask the court to let you defend without paying fees (in forma pauperis) by filing an affidavit that you cannot afford the fees. People receiving certain public assistance are presumed to qualify.

Law: Minn. Stat. § 563.01, subd. 3

Mediation and settlement in Minnesota

Most civil cases in district court are subject to court-annexed alternative dispute resolution (ADR), such as mediation, under General Rule of Practice 114. If you qualify for a fee waiver and cannot pay for ADR, the court can address that. (Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 114.01)

Service of the court papers in Minnesota

Service means officially getting the court papers. Your deadline usually starts that day.

The summons must be handed to you personally or left at your usual home with a person of suitable age and discretion who lives there. The lawsuit starts when you are served, even if it has not been filed with the court.

Law: Minn. R. Civ. P. 4.03(a), 3.01

Steps to answer in Minnesota

  1. Look at the summons

    Write down the court, the case number and who is suing you.

  2. Count the days

    Minnesota's rule: District Court or Conciliation Court case: 21 days.

  3. File a written answer

    Give it to the clerk, mail a copy to the plaintiff's lawyer and keep one for yourself.

  4. Ask for the documents

    Use a documents request letter to see what they can prove.

Federal rules in every state

  • Where a collector must sue. A debt collector that sues you over a consumer debt must file where you signed the contract or where you live when the suit starts. Law: 15 U.S.C. 1692i(a)(2)
  • Old debts. A debt collector must not sue you, or threaten to sue you, on a debt that is too old to sue on. Law: 12 CFR 1006.26(b)

Free help in Minnesota

Questions about answering in Minnesota

How long do I have to answer a debt lawsuit in Minnesota?

21 days after you are served with the summons. This applies even if the case has not been filed with the court yet.

How do I answer a debt lawsuit in Minnesota?

Write an answer that responds to the complaint and lists your defenses. Serve it on the plaintiff's lawyer (by mail or delivery) within 21 days. If the case is already filed, also file your answer with the court administrator and pay the fee, or ask for a fee waiver. If the case has not been filed, the plaintiff must file it within 1 year of serving you, or it is dismissed.

What does it cost to answer in Minnesota?

$310. In district court, the defendant pays a filing fee when the first paper is filed for that defendant.

Can Minnesota courts waive my fees?

Ask the court to let you defend without paying fees (in forma pauperis) by filing an affidavit that you cannot afford the fees. People receiving certain public assistance are presumed to qualify.

Related Minnesota pages

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources
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